Middlsex Co., Mass. 19 MASS. (Middlesex Co.) 1874. scarcely all our birds at the first rise but late in the afternoon the setting sun shining into our eyes caused several bad smuffs as at that time the gas barrels reflected a perfect flood of light when raised to the shoulder. The woodcock coa [illegible] rule rose rather lazily but many of them flew a surprising distance. One very large bird which we had put up several times without getting a shot was at length driven out to me by M., and gave me a good cross shot at 20 yds. but owing to the dazzling sun light above my head I was unable to on him at all upon raising my gun & consequently missed dead with both barrels. Being in a good position to mark him I had him pass high over a large tract of Birches when we had first found him & then whistled for over a tall oak grove I just caught a glimpse of his wings as he dropped in an open beyond at least 500 yds from the spot where I stood. Following him up I got a fine point from shot and flushing him killed him cleanly at 25-yds. With the exception of two all the birds that we started were big birch hillbirds and as a rule on the very outskirts of the thickets. They averaged quite large in size and in every instance whistled as they rose, Melvin has